British Families Return To 'Games Night' In Credit Crunch

- Expensive family entertainment is scrapped in favour of traditional fun and games -

The British public is returning to traditional leisure activities with more than half the population planning to invest in games or puzzles as they look for more economical ways of keeping the family entertained during the credit crunch. Nearly 9 out of 10 households plan to cut spending on expensive luxuries such as eating out, family holidays and entertainment goods, new research out today reveals.

The survey, conducted for TOMY’s £1,000,000* prize fund Eternity II puzzle game, interviewed over 1,300 people in the UK** and revealed that families are turning their backs on modern, unsociable and expensive entertainment systems. When asked how they most like to have fun with the family, games and puzzles proved the most popular with almost 40% of households confirming that playing them is a great way to spend time together; interestingly computer games and watching DVDs came last (14%). With more than two thirds planning to spend more time at home with their families this year, the respondents were looking for traditional activities they could enjoy together.

The research was conducted by TOMY because the £1,000,000 Eternity II prize remains unclaimed. Any person who solves the Eternity II puzzle by the end of the year stands a chance of walking away with the credit crunch-busting prize, making it an excellent entertainment option for the British public, especially as everyone is feeling the financial pinch.

Robert Man, CEO of TOMY Europe commented: “Eternity II is a really fun and engaging puzzle which is easy to play and can be solved by anybody. No special skills are needed - you simply line up the pieces to match the correct patterns and colours on the board and you are in with a chance to win a cool £1,000,000. With a massive 80% of people polled confirming they would attempt a puzzle if it could award them a six figure sum by Christmas, we are really looking forward to finding a winner, so get going and you could be a millionaire by the end of the year!”

The research also revealed that:
• A return to Games Night is not just popular with families. Two thirds of 18 – 30 year olds intend to buy games and puzzles to enjoy at home with 40% confirming ‘it’s cheaper than going out’.
• Our environmental conscience is alive and well with a fifth confirming they would spend the money making their home eco-friendly if they won a million.
• Stashing the cash under the mattress is returning to favour, with 20% confirming they would rather put the money in a safe place than invest in stocks and shares (16%)

* The prize fund is $2,000,000. The total amount in British pounds will depend on the exchange rate at the time of payout.
** Research was conducted by 72 Point Ltd and had 1382 respondents.

About Eternity II
Unlike most puzzles, which only have one correct way of completing the final solution, there are thousands of ways that Eternity II can be solved to win the $2 million prize. The puzzle consists of 256 square pieces that are bordered by coloured patterns which must be aligned across the whole puzzle to achieve the maximum score of 480 matched pairs of edges.

When you have completed your puzzle submit your solution as fast as you can. All solutions submitted will be locked away in a vault until 31st December 2008. On 31st December all solutions will be opened in date order received and the first person with a complete solution wins $2million.

Eternity II is available as a range of products including the main prize puzzle with a guide retail price of £34.99 (256 pieces) and four ‘Clue’ puzzles. Clue Puzzle 1, Clue Puzzle 2, Clue Puzzle 3 and Clue Puzzle 4. Solving the Clue puzzles will reveal locations of key pieces in the main puzzle to help you take one step closer to winning the $2million prize!

Eternity II is the follow up to Eternity I which captured the imagination of thousands of people across Europe when it was launched eight years ago. A cheque for £1 million was handed over to a student who successfully solved Eternity I after being given the puzzle as a present!